kitschy kitchen kooking

ha-ha!

There is actually neither kitschy or c(k)ooking going on this week in our kitchen.  The front yard salad bar has been turning out the goods.  And we had Pops here, so had take out - take home and bake pizza.  Yup, we be spoiled.

Most of all, we be spoiled by our own fresh salads.  I can't repeat enough that I never knew I could like the taste of something so much until it came fresh to our salad bowl.

Our broccoli doesn't even look like the stuff at the restaurant salad bar.  And, my taste buds declare the leafs just as tasty as the bud clusters.  Heck, even starting to bloom they are tasty.  I am letting this one bloom, seed pods are also suppose to very yummy in salads.

We have learned that baby leaf virtually anything taste good in a salad.  Mature leaf, many times needs to be cooked.  For example, mature turnip, radish and mustard leafs.

I planned out what cooking I did do this week to optimize veggie harvesting.  Between Pops being here and injured doggie; schedules worked.

I actually did sort-of kind-of cooked this week.  I made a huge pot of beans and veggies.  Started with some spicy sausage that I cooked till golden brown and crumbly.  Added onion and garlic.  Added two containers of veggie broth.  Brought to a boil, then dumped in the dry bean mix that had been soaking for 24 hours.  After it returned to a boil, I added the mature leafs just harvested, as well as the ribs, stems and stuff I had been saving in the freezer.

I actually grew this stuff.  It is incredible to fathom.

Turnips and radish have a lot of leafs, and chopped up in small chunk size bits makes for a tasty addition to a hearty bean stew.  About an hour before serving time; I added a big bunch of chunked up collard greens.  This was some heavenly bean stew.  Just what we needed for the cold front that rolled through.

I could have added turnips and radish to the bean stew; but I didn't.  I left the root veggies in the harvest bucket in water - kitschy white harvest bucket in kitchen.

I washed the leafs in the sink; and put the baby root veggie leafs, mustard and collard leafs in a salad keeper.  Green and clear kitchen kitschy.

Next afternoon, I went out to pick broccoli heads and more fixings for salads.  I brought a large aluminum mixing bowl to hold the goods.  Back, inside - topped off with cold water - shiny aluminum kitchen kitschy.

Later grabbed the white salad spinner.

Who says kitsch needs to be coordinated?  Put it all together and mix it all up, makes for super salads!  Include multiple types of brassica leafs in your salad to up your calcium.

I now have neighbors bringing their relatives by for tours.  And healthy eating conversations.  Weird.  I have to confess though, I have so much fun with the kids, they are a blast.  Overheard this week "Grandpop!  If she can grow this stuff so can we!  Lets go plant some of those balls!"  Too fun.

Daphne has gone all sprouty on us this week; I've been thinking about growing sprouts; heck we love them fresh.  And if it's too cold to grow beans, we could grow the sprouts.  Yes, I like it.  Daphne's Dandelions - stop by for Harvest Monday and soak it up!